Machine for sealing mail-matter.



L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING MAIL MATTER.

APPLIGATIOK FILED MAY 20, 1911. RENEWED AUG.10,1914. 1, 1 32,930.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

; IvuRRIS PETERS 60., FHOTG-LITHQ, WAsHlNGwN, D. C.

v L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOB. SEALING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1911. RENEWED AUG. 10, 1914.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

4 sums-sum 2.

n /rrfss s THE NORRIS PETERS (76.. PHOTO-LIIHO NASHIIIGTGN. J C.

L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1911. RENEWED AUG. 10, 1914.

1,1 82,930. Patented Mar. 23,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

02? 844/0 2 Mica GHQ-m4 e130 1 THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOIILLITHKL. WASHINGIUN, 0. cv

. L. HALL. MACHINE FOR SEALING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1911. RENEWED AUG. 10, 1914.

1, 1 32,930. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I Suva whoa; f ,fl AM THE "59*?!5 PETERS CO PHOTOJ-ITHQ. WASHINGTON, D, C.

' UTTED STA -j FATE oEEio.

LOUIS J. HALL, 0E FREEPORT, NEW YORK, AssIGNoR TO THE MORRIS-HALL MAIL" CLOSER COMPANY, 0E ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MACHINE FOR SEALING MAIL-MATTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1911, Serial No. 628,438. Renewed August 10, 1914. Serial No. 856,109.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I,'-LoUIs J. HALL, a citizen of the United States, now residing at Freeport, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sealing Mail-Matter, of which the following is a specification.

larly pointed out in the appended claims.

This application is a division of my application filed June 18, 1908, Serial No. 161,280, for machines for stamping and sealing mail matter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrative of the machine embodying my improve:

ments in one form: Figure l is a plan view of the sealing mechanism, the other parts of the machine not included in this application being omitted; Fig. 2 a sectional front elevation taken just inside of thefront frame of the machine; Fig. 8 an enlarged detail plan of the sealing and stacking mechanism and Fig. 4 an enlarged end elevation of the sealing and stacking mechanism, a portion of the holding frame being shown in vertical sectional view.

The supporting frame-work 1 of the machine, as herein shown, is made of metal plates which also serve to form a protecting inclosure for the mechanism. Extending across this frame-work, from front to rear and transversely of its length, is the main driving shaft 2, one end of which projects from the plate to carry the driving connection or pulley 8 by which it may be rotated from any suitable source of power. This driving shaft is formed with a crank 4 by which the carrier C is reciprocated, and also supports and drives the cam 7 which gives movement to the feeder.

The carrier C, which transfers the envelops first'from the magazine to a position" 1n front of the affixing mechanism, and then from the latter position to the stacker, is

PatentedMar. 23, 1915. Original application filed June ,13, 1903, Serial No. 161,280. Divided and this application filed May .20, t

herein shown as mounted to slide upon a pair of guide rods 14 which extend longitudinally of the machine parallel to its front plate 1. The base plate 15 of the carrier is grooved to fit over the rods 14, as shown in;

my application Serial No. 161,280, and is provided on its under surface with a strap 16, which is removably securedto the carr rier base by screws 17, and the ends of which project beneath theguide rods and prevent,

the carrier from being lifted from them. The carrier is actuated from the crank 4 on the main driving shaft by a pitinan 0, and makesone -full reciprocation back and forth with eachrevolution of said shaft.

The jaws 18 and 19 of the carrier on the backside of the pathof the envelop are formed at the upper edge of a rigid bracket 19 that rises from the base plate 15 of the carrier. Opposed to these rigid jaws 18 and 19, are two movable jaws 20 and 21, re

spectively, which are carried upon the upper ends of vibratory arms 22 and 28 thatare independent of each other but are both pivoted to the same shaft'carried by plate 15.

The carrier is thus provided in effect with two pairs of opposing jaws, 1820 and 19 -21, respectively. And in the operation of the machine, the jaws 1820, at one end of the carrier, enter the magazine and pull the envelop to a position in front of the stamp aflixing mechanism (when the appa ratus is used in connection with a stamp applying mechanism') in one reciprocation of the carrier, while the jaws 1921 at its other end seize the rear end of the same enciprocation of the carrier.

The lever 25 is normally maintained under pressure tending to swing it outwardly to open the jaws, by means of a spring 84 which is mountedup'on a rod 85 that projects forwardly from a lug 86 on the carrier base 15, the free forward end'of this rod 85 being arranged to pass loosely throughthe lever 25 and the spring 84 bevelop and'push it from the stamp affixing mechanism into the sealer in the next reing compressed between the lug 86 and the inner side of said lever. The swinging in of the lever against the pressure of this spring 3a is accomplished by a stationary cam 38 over which an anti-friction roller 39 on the lever travels as the carrier starts on its movement away from the magazine. As herein shown this roller is secured to the lever by the same screw 30 which pivotally connects the lever with the link 28, and in Fig. 1 this roller is just beginning to ride up on the cam 88 in the outward travel of the carrier from the magazine.

As soon as the jaws are once closed by the action of the cam 38, they are locked in closed position by a latch 10, located at the right hand front corner of the base plate 15 of the carrier. The latch itself is carried at the upper end of a pair of guide pins ll, which are mounted to slide vertically through apertures in the subj acent corner of the base plate l5,nand both the latch and its guide pins are normally pulled down ward by suitable means. When the lever 25 is swung out and the carrier jaws are open, the tip of the latch rests upon the top of the extreme forward end of the lever and is thereby held up in raised position and is inoperative. But when the lever 25 is swung in to close the jaws, its extremity moves in beneath a notch in the latch which thereupon immediately drops down over the lever and looks it in its uppermost position with the jaws closed. This locking action takes place, as before stated, immediately after the roller 39 rides up on the cam 38 at the beginning of the stroke of the carrier to the right from the magazine toward the aflixing mechanism, and the jaws continue to be thus locked throughout the length of this stroke. But as the limit of the carrier movement in this direction is reached, a pin 16 which projects from a stop head 4:6 on the lower ends of both of the guide pins 41, strikes and rides up on a stationary incline 47 and gradually lifts the latch 10 until it is raised clear of the lever 25 and leaves the latter free to move back to open the jaws under the pressure of the spring 3l. In order to prevent this unlocking of the jaws from occurring too suddenly and with an undesirable noise and jar to the mechanism, a stationary cam lug d8 projects inwardly from the front of the frame in position for contact with the anti-friction roller 39 on the lever 25 just as the latter is released from the latch and before it swings outwardly to any perceptible extent. The inner end 49 of this cam lug then sustains the pressure of the spring 3% during the reversal of the carrier stroke, the roller 39 rides down an inclined surface 50 of the cam lug and permits the lever to swing back and the aws to gradually open, under the pressure of this spring 3 1, until they reach the limit of movement permitted by a stop pin 51 that projects upwardly through a slot in the lever 25 from the subjacent bracket 27 of the carrier base plate.

Obviously in returning to its initial position at the left hand end of the carrier movement, the anti-friction roller 39 must again pass the stationary cam lug 38 by the action of which upon the roller the carrier jaws were closed at the-beginning of the right hand stroke, but the cam lug 38 is ar ranged to be lifted out of the path of the returning roller 39 so that said roller can pass beneath the cam lug without being en gaged by the latter during its movement. To this end the cam lug 88 is herein shown as supported at the upper end of a slotted slide 52 which is mounted to move vertically over guide screws 53 on the front of a bracket 54: which projects rearwardly and toward the left from the inner side of the front plate 1 of the frame, this slide 52 having at its upper end a forwardly projecting tongue 55 wliich'extends over the top of the bracket 5% and supports the cam lug 38 at the rear of said bracket. At its lower end the slide 52 is connected by a wrist pin 56 with a lever arm 57 that is pivoted at the front of the main frame at 58. The body or principal length of the lever 57 lies directly above the path of a stud 59 on the outer or front face of the lever 25 (Fig. 21), and as the carrier moves back from right to left, this stud strikes the under surface of the lever 57, and by raising the lever lifts the slide 52 and with it the cam lug 58, far enough to permit the roller 39 to pass be neath the lug without coming in contact with it. Then ust before the carrier reaches the limit of its travel to the left, the stud 59 passes from beneath the end of the lever 57, and permits the cam lug 38 to drop down into the path of movement of the roller 39, ready to deflect the roller and close the jaws again in the next movement of the carrier to the right.

One of the essential improvements of the sealing mechanism shown in this application consists in the provision of means whereby the envelop is bent centrally outward on its face side by the pressure which forces the flap to fold clear down into its intended position against the back of the envelop, even though the contents of the latter are so thick as to normally tend to raise the flap unduly. To accomplish this action the envelop is delivered by the carrier between the upper and lower guide plates 150 and 151, of which the latter is flush with and may constitute part of the table of the sealer. These guide plates are then provided with opposed inwardly projecting shoulders 152, the distance between which is less than the width of the envelop for which the machine is set. The front corners of these shoulders 152 are preferably rounded off to permitthe edges of the envelops to readily pass by them but their rear faces are notched at'153 so as to catch the edges of the envelops after they have once reached this position. I 1

The forcing of the envelops between the shoulders 152 is accomplished by a reciprocating pressure plate 154 which, in this instance, is carried bya cross head 155 that slides on fixed guide rods 156 of the frame (Fig. 4). This cross head is connected by a link 157 to the upper end of a vibratory lever 158, the lower end of which is pivoted to a fixed lug 159 of the frame. A stud 160 is provided on this lever between itsends and projects into the groove in the periphcry of the cam 7 on the crank shaft 2, so that the lever will be vibrated and. the presser plate 154 reciprocated once in .each revolution of the crank shaft.

The envelop E is delivered between the guide plates 151 by the carrier when the presser plate 154 is retracted. The face of the envelop is turned away from the presser plate, while its partially closed flap inclines downwardly toward the plate, after some such mannerv as is shown in Fig. 4. The bending of the flap down this far is accomplished by a flap turning plate 161 placed just inside of the sealer along the path of the envelops. This flap turner, is herein shown as secured to the top plate 150 of the sealer by screws 162 (Fig. 33). It consists of ahorizontal top. plate provided at its left hand end with an upturned lip 163 (Fig. 2), and made wider at this end and provided with a downwardly extending vertical flange 164 which slants back toward the die plate as it approaches the sealer. When the envelop reaches the flap turner in the movement of the carrier toward the sealing mechanism, its flap is in'the same substantially horizontal position which it occupied in the magazine, or if sprung up the lip 168 serves to depress it into this horizon tal position. Then as the envelop passes beneath the turning plate, the edge of its flap strikes the edge of the flange 164 and is thereby gradually turned down until the envelop emerges into the sealer with its flap folded as closely against the body of the envelop as the thickness of its contents will permit.

Immediately the envelop enters the sealer the presser plate 154 is advanced and strikes the point of the downwardly inclined flap and gradually closes its down against the body of the envelop. The advance of the presser plate causes the envelop to bow or belly outwardly away from the plate as it is pushed between the shoulders 152 which restrain its top and bottom edges. This bending of the envelop takes place justat the right time to permit the point of the flap'to slide down the plate, which is prefwvhich rotate freely on these studs.

erably inclined-backward slightly, until it I I reaches a substantially vertical position beforethe actual adhesion between the flap and the bottom of the envelop begins, and

the result is that the envelop is fully closed and theflap properly sealed, even though] vertically to pass freely between the shoulders 152 and eventually forces the envelop through these shoulders against the-resistance of two yielding wings or gates 165 (Fig. 3). These gates are pivotally'mounted on studs 166 located at each side of the sealer table, being secured to sleeves 167 The lower ends of these sleeves serve as drums around which rubber bands 168 may be coiled, and these bands are carried back and adjustably secured by screw bolts 169 to lugs 170 on the table. Said bands are velops pass out beyond them. The vertical distance between the faces of the top and bottom plates 150 and 151 of the sealer back of the shoulders 152 is desirably madeless stretched to a suitable degree of tension and than the height of the envelops so that the bowed position of each envelop is maintained until it is pushed through beyond the top plate 150, thus giving the mucilage on the flap a chance to dry before the natural straightening of the envelop when released from restraint can put strain enough upon the flap to break the seal. This vertical distance and the distance between the'shoulder 152.1nay be adjusted to suit different widths of envelops by raisingor lowering the top! plate 150 by means of thumb screws 171 on a stud 172 at the outer edge of the sealer table, by which the top plate is supported.

The moistening of the envelop flaps is herein shown as accomplished by a roller 175 located just to the left of the stamp: afliXing platen. Thisroller is revolublymounted .in a tank 176, and. it is contemplated that the'lower portion of the roller shall dip continuously in the water in the tank and that the roller shall be rotated fast enough to keep its upper portion, which projects out of the water, just wet enough to properly moisten the flap. To this end 'a ratchet wheel 177 is secured on the end of the roller shaft, and a ratchet arm 178 is pivotally mounted on the shaft to carry a ratchet-pawl 179. The outer end ofthis arm is connected by a link 180 with the le- 7 ver 57 of the carrier mechanism and is thus caused to oscillate once with each movement of the carrier. This lever 57 is oscillated vertically by a projection 59 on the carrier which engages the under side of said lever as the carrier reciprocates, as is fully set forth in my application Serial No. 161,280 hereinbetore referred to. Every oscillation of the lever 178 will then cause the pawl 17 9 to engage and slightly rotate the ratchet wheel and roller, and the latter will thus be kept constantly moistened. A stop pawl 181 serves to hold the roller against reverse rotation when the pawl is retracted bythe return movement of the arm.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an envelop sealing machine, means for turning the flap down toward the body of the envelop, means for bending the body of the envelop between its longitudinal edges, and means for pressing the flap against the bent body of the envelop to seal it, substantially as described.

2. In an envelop sealing machine, means for moistening the envelop, means for folding the flap down toward the body of the envelop, means for bending the body of the envelop to further lower the lap, and means for pressing the flap against the body of the envelop to seal it, substantially as described.

3. In an envelop sealing machine, means for moistening the envelop, means for folding the flap down toward the body of the envelop, devices for retarding the envelop along opposite edges, and envelop bending means engaging the envelop between the retarding devices and pressing the flap against the body of the envelop to seal it, substantially as described.

4:. In an envelop sealing machine, means for bending the body of the envelop in a direction trans .-'erse to the attached margin of the flap, to force the flap against the body of the envelop, and means for pressing the flap against the envelop while in this position to seal it, substantially as described.

In an envelop sealing machine comprising means for feeding the envelops, and

means for moistening them, a combined sealer and stacker comprising a stacker table, means for pushing the envelops on to the stacker table, obstructions which intercept the envelops while being pushed on to the table, and cause them to bend, said ol structions also preventing the envelops from returning from the stacker table, and means for pressing the envelops to seal them, substantially as described.

6. In an envelop sealing machine the com bination of means for feeding the envelops, means for moistening them, means for bonding the bodies of the envelops and means for compressing the envelope to seal them while in a bent position, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for sealing envelops and the like, the combination of means for feeding the envelops, means for moistening them, a stacker table, means for pushing the envelops on to the stacker table, obstructions for bending the envelops as they are being pushed on to the stacker table, and means for compressing the envelops while in a bent position, substantially as described.

8. In a machine for sealing envelops and envelops on to the stacker table, obstructions for bending the envelops as they are being w pushed on to the stacker table, means for ad justing said obstructions to cause more or less bending of envelops, and means for compressing the envelops while in a bent position, substantially as described.

10. In an envelop sealing machine the combination of means for feeding the en- 'velops, means for moistening them, means for bending the envelops, said bending means being adjustable to cause more or less bending of the envelops and means for pressing the envelops while in a bent position, substantially as described.

11. In a machine for sealing envelops or the like, means for bending the body of the envelop in a direction transverse to the attached margin of the flap to force the flap down against the body of the envelop ready for sealing, means for adjusting the bending means, so as to cause more or less bending of the envelop, substantially as de scribed and means for folding the flap against the body of the envelop and sealing and stacking the envelop in one operation.

12. In a machine for sealing envelops or the like, comprising a moistener, means for bending the moistened envelops, means for pressing the moistened envelops while in a bent position, and means for holding the envelops in a bent position to allow the moisture to partially dry before they are allowed to straighten up, substantially as described.

1,3. In a machine for sealing envelops or the like, comprising a moistener for moistening the flaps 01" the envelops, means for bending the moistened envelops, means for pressing the moistened envelops, while in a bentjposition, and means for holding the envelops in a bent position to allow the moisture to dry before they are allowed to straighten, substantially as described.

14. In a machine for sealing envelops or the like, the combination of means for feeding the envelops, means for moistening them, means for bending the bodies of the envelops in a direction transverse to the attached margin of the fiap preparatory to sealing, and means for compressing the envelops, substantially as'described.

15. In an envelop sealing machine com- I prising means for feeding the envelops, and means for moistening them, a combined sealer and stacker, comprising a stacker table, means for pushing the envelop on to the stacker table, obstructions for bending the envelop, and means for compressing the envelops to seal them, substantially as de scribed.

16. In a machine for sealing envelops and the like, the combination of a table for receiving the envelops, means for moistening the envelops, a table on which the envelops are stacked or bunched, means for carrying the envelops from the receiving table past the moistener to a position in front of the stacker table, means for pushing the envelops on to the stacker table, obstructions for causing the envelops to bend as they are being pushed on to the stacker table, and means for compressing the envelops while on the stacker table, substantially as described.

17. A machine for sealing envelops or the like comprising means for feeding the envelops, means for moistening them, means for bunching or stacking them, means in the stack for yieldingly holding the sealed envelops therein under a suitable pressure, said means releasing the envelops at the rear of the stack after a predetermined quantity has accumulated therein.

18. A machine for sealing envelops and the like comprising means for feeding the envelops, means for moistening them, means for bunching or stacking them, means in the stacker for holding a predetermined quantity of said envelops under pressure, said means releasing the envelops as they accumulate in the stacker over and above the said predetermined quantity.

19. In an envelop sealing machine, means for moving the envelop, means for moistening the envelop, means for folding the flap down toward the body of the envelop, obstructions for bending the body of the envelop to further lower the flap, and means for compressing the envelop while in a bent position, substantially as described.

20. In a machine for sealing envelops and the like, the combination of means for feeding the envelop, means for moistening it, means for pushing the envelop sidewise, obstructions for bending the body of the envelop as it is being pushed sidewise, and

moistening mechanism, a stack to receive means for compressing the envelop while in a bent position, substantially as descrlbed.

21. In an envelop seallng machine, a flap ceiver, a sealing and stacking mechanism adapted to move the envelops bodily into the stack, a feeding means to deliver the envelops to the sealing and stacking mechanism with the flaps unsealed, whereby the said sealing and stacking mechanism will seal and stack the envelops in oneoperation. 23. In an envelop sealing machine'the combination of means for feeding envelops, means for moistening the flaps thereof, means for bending the bodies of the envelops, and means for compressing the envelops and forcing them into a stack while in a bent position.

24. In an envelop sealing machine means for bending the body of the envelop so" that the bending operation will cause the flap to tend to hug closely against the body of the envelop in position for sealing, and means for pressing the flap against the envelop while in this position to seal it and to force the envelop into a stack.

25. An envelop sealing means comprising a reciprocating envelop feeding means, a flap moistening means adapted to moisten the flaps of the envelops as they are moved by the feeding means, a stack, a reciprocating sealing and stacking device operating across the path of the envelops as they are moved by the feeding means; and yielding means for holding 'theenvelops in the stack said means releasing envelops from the stack after a certain amount has been accumulated therein. 7

26. A machine forsealing envelops com prising a stack, means for sealing and stackvelops bodily into the forward end of the stack, and yieldingmeans for holding the envelops in the stack, said means releasing mg envelops, said means forcing the enenvelops from the stack after a certain by the feeding means, a stack, a reciprocating sealing and stacking device operating across the path of the envelops as they are moved by the feeding means, yielding means for holding the envelops in the stack, said means releasing envelops at the back of the stack after a predetermined amount has been accumulated therein, said releasing means being operated by the stacking device.

28. An envelop sealing machine comprising an envelop moistening means, an envelop feeding means, a sealing and stacking mechanism and means to separate the moistened flap from the body of the envelop as the envelop enters the stack, whereby the sealing and stacking mechanism Will force the envelop flap against the body of the envelop and then force the envelop into the stack.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

" LoUis J. HALL.

Witnesses WM. R. DAVIS, L. MAGUIRE.

flames of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, I). G. 

